Know a great woman rookie driver? Nominate her for this award

In 2014, Trucking’s Top Rookie was a woman company driver from Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Julie Matulle, a 46-year-old single mom and company driver, won the award and was recognized at the Great American Trucking Show.

2014 Trucking’s Top Rookie Julie Matulle

Another top rookie — who could be woman — will leave GATS just like Julie did, with a bunch of cash and prizes. A check for $10,000 and a package of prizes will be awarded to that one skillful professional  truck driver when Trucking’s Top Rookie is named in August.

The award, named in honor of the late Mike O’Connell, recognizes the best professional truck driver who has been on the job for less than a year.

The Trucking’s Top Rookie contest is a partnership between Truckers News, the Truckload Carriers Association, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, Rand McNally, Pilot Flying J, Progressive Commercial Insurance, National Association of Publicly Funded Driving Schools, American Trucking Associations and the Red Eye Radio Network.

Nominations are open and close at 5 p.m. on June 24.

Nominations may be made online at http://truckload.org/rookie

A panel of seven judges will review each nominee and select 10 finalists. The winner will be announced Friday, Aug. 26 at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas.

The winner receives:

  • $10,000 cash
  • $1,000 cash and 100,000 Pilot Flying J MyReward points
  • A custom plaque from Award Company of America
  • Interview on Red Eye Radio Network with Eric Harley
  • A feature in Truckers News
  • $1,000 worth of DAS Products merchandise featuring the RoadPro Getting Started Living On-The-Go Package
  • American Trucking Associations “Good Stuff Trucks Bring It” package, which includes a polo shirt with logo, baseball cap, model truck and utility knife
  • A GPS unit and a Motor Carrier Road Atlas from Rand McNally

The nine other finalists receive:

  • $1,000 cash
  • 50,000 MyRewards points from Pilot Flying J
  • A custom plaque from Award Company of America
  • $100 worth of DAS Products Merchandise, featuring the RoadPro MobileSpec Portable Life Package
  • American Trucking Associations ‘ “Good Stuff Trucks Bring It” package which includes a polo shirt with logo, baseball cap, model truck and utility knife
  • A GPS unit from Rand McNally

Last year’s winner was Frederick Weatherspoon, a 52-year-old veteran of three branches of the military and a driver for Dartco.

The late Mike O’Connell was formerly the executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, and originated the idea of honoring a top rookie driver to help show new drivers they are important to and appreciated by the trucking industry.